Korean Kimchi II (Tongbaechu-kimchi 통배추김치)

Over the years I’ve posted recipes for a few of them before. My first kimchi was a bit sour, it is combined with Taiwanese and Korean Kimchi. Now I prefer my kimchi more close to the Korean version. Yup, my taste bud has changed, so I take a challenge. Keep watching! 🙂

This time, I make the simplest way to prepare. It’s spicier and kicks off the vinegar that I adapted before.

It needs to prepare a paste made from sweet glutinous flour and water for the start. The consistency like the runny custard. Then add the chilli powder, mashed up pear and apple, etc. But silly me forgot to put the seaweed: kelp.

Here is the recipe that I follow but I can’t have the onion and garlic as my usual reason. Anyway, I will list out the recipe in a case someone will like it.

Today I make up a dish, it is called Kimchi soft tofu stew (kimchi sundubu-jjigae: 김치순두부찌개). Also, I get inspire from Maangchi. I have some changes from her recipe to suit my family.

Korean Kimchi II (Tongbaechu-kimchi 통배추김치)

Ingredient:

1 large Chinese leaves

2tbsp Sea salt

110g Korean hot chilli powder

6 tbsp Korean soy sauce or Fish sauce

2 tbsp Sea salt

2 tbsp Mirin (optional)

60g Fresh ginger, peeled and minced

1 large Chinese pear or Korean pear (perfectly if you can afford it)

2 Apples

1 -2 Carrot, large size, peeled, grated

1 cup Daikon, peeled, chopped chunky

3-4 Spring onion, chopped (optional)

1/4 Garlic clove, minced (optional)

1/2 Onion, minced (optional)

1/2 cup Sweet glutinous flour

3 cups Water

Method:

Trim the discolored outer Chinese leaves. Cut into lengthwise into quarters and remove the cores. Chop it up into bite size pieces.

Soak the vegetables in cold water and rinse, transfer into a large basin. Sprinkle salt.

Put a saucepan filled with water and place on top of the chopped Chinese leaves. Leave it for few hours until the leaves turn soft.

Rinse the Chinese leaves in cold water to clean it thoroughly. Drain the Chinese leaves and set aside.

Now, make the flour paste: Put 3 cups of water and 1/2 cup sweet glutinous flour in a saucepan and mix it well and bring to a boil. Keep stirring until the batter makes bubbles. Let it cool down.

Put the flour paste in a large bowl for mixing the kimchi paste. Add the soy sauce or fish sauce if you used, then put the hot chilli powder and minced ginger, (then add the crushed garlic and minced onion).

Add the remaining prepared vegetables. Mix all ingredients well and your kimchi paste is done.

Put the kimchi paste in a large basin and add all the Chinese leaves. Mix it by hand.

Put the kimchi into an air-tight sealed plastic container or glass jar.

You can eat it fresh right after making or wait until it’s fermented.

I usually put half of my kimchi in the fridge, the other half will be in a separate container. I like fresh kimchi, so this way the kimchi in the fridge ferments slowly and stays fresh, while the other container ferments faster and gets sour.

Tips:

One or 2 days after, open the lid of the Kimchi container. You may see some bubbles with lots of liquids, or maybe sour smells. That means it’s already being fermented. Better to put it into the fridge, otherwise, it will turn sourer.

Prepare a pair of plastic kitchen gloves to mix the Kimchi paste with the vegetables.

You can test the taste right after you mix the Kimchi paste. It is the right time to adjust the salt or the spicy more or less.